Improved safety-escutcheon for locks



clear, and eXact description thereof and of its Nrrn STATES HENRY HUNGERFORD, OF BROOKLYN, NEVAIORK.

IMPROVED SAFETY-ESCUTCHEON FOR LOCKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 43,5015. dated July 12, 1864.

To all whom it may concern.- l able plate A the opposite sides ofthe key aie Be it known that I, HENRY HUNGERFORD, flattened or grooved, as shown in Fig. 2, and of the city of Brooklyn, State of New York, vl at such part of the key that when it is in the have invented a new and useful Improvementl lock the attened or grooved surfaces will be in Safety-Soutcheons for Locks; and I do in the same vertical plane with the movable hereby declare that the following is a full, plate A. The width ofthe slot or recess Bis such as to take in the flattened or grooved manner of operation, reference being had to part of the key, but not allow the key to be the accompanying drawings, and to the letters turned while such plate A is upon the key, as of reference marked thereon, and making a i shown in Fig. 1. part of' this specification. The side of the key usually flattened or My invention is an improvementin the form made with flat faces or surfaces in the side on and construction of a device for preventing Which is the bitor rivet O of' the key, and the locks being picked or unlocked, consisting of side opposite thereto, so that the key, when the use of' a slotted plate attached to the lock fastened by the plate A, will be at a halfturn and passing each side of the key so as to hold in the lock, and cannot therefore be forced it and prevent its being turned. f'rom the outside through or out of the lock. Figure l is a front view of a lock with the It is not, however, absolutely necessary that safety-scutcheon in proper position upon the such flattened or faced surfaces should be on key. Fig. 2 is a sectional view ofthe scutchthose particular sides of the key, though it is eon-plate with the key in it. Fig. 3 is afront preferable, for the reason above mentioned, view of a lock, the key removed and the that they should be, as it will be apparent scutcheonplate raised above the key-hole. that the key can neither be turned in the lock It is well known that door and other locks nor easily dislodged therefrom, whatever its which lock and unlock from both sides f'urposition, so long as the plate Ais in the posinish but a very imperfect protection against tion shown in Fig. 1. Nor will it matter burglars and skillt'ul thieves. If the key is whether such plate moves vertically or horilei't in the lock, it can easily be turned by nipzontally, or at an angle, as its action on the pers, and the lock be thus unlocked, while ii' key will be the same. Such plate is held the key is taken out of the lock an easy opeither above the key-hole to permit the key to portunity is offered to pick it. Generally, be inserted, or upon the key, as shown in Fig..

however, the lock cannot be picked so long as l, by a thumb-screw, D, acting against the the key remains in it, or it can be picked only i lock or the plate underneath A. Instead,how with great difficulty. over, ot such thumb-screw, a spring may bo A device which can be easily attached to fixed to the lock or back plate, which`shall such locks, which will permit the key to re- -enter into proper niches in the back side of main in the lock, thus greatly lessening or rethe plate A,holdingit up or down, such spring moving any liability of thelock being picked, being -f'orced back to allow such plate to be and which will eft'ectually prevent the key bemoved by a pressure-knob. Other mechaniing turned in the lock, and which requires no cal devices may also be used For the same puralteration in the operating parts ot' the lock pose. The plate A may also, ior nea-tness ot' and will not mar its appearance, is not only appearance as well as protection, be placed desirable, but a positive utility. Such a debehind the usual scutcheon plate. sideratum my invention secures. Instead ot' vflattening the shank ofthe key, it Upon the face otl the lock, or upon the maybe enlarged by side projections with flat scutcheon-plate, which generally protects the surfaces,the slotin plate A being tted thereto; key-hole, I fix a metallic plate, A, fitting into or such projecting sides may be drilled to regnides or grooves l) b, so that it can move up j ceive the legs ot' the plate A, shaped to pass and down, andwhich has a slot or recess, B, into them. Other variations in form may be taken ont ofthe middle of it, so that the side made, retaining' the same principle of operaparts can pass down on each side of' the key, tion. In cases also where the prolonged end as shown in Fig. 1. To receive such movl E of the key passes through thelock this may be titled io 'receive the plate A, and the key can then be held in the lock from Whichever side of the lock it is entered.

The drawings shoe'7 the application of the safety-scutcheon to mortise-locks,77 so called. When applied to rim locks, the guides b b will be a part ol the side plate.

AI movable plate with a central slot or recess has heretofore been applied for the same purpose, but such plate has been entirely sep arate'from the lock and fastened Wholly on the outside of the lock, and held in position by two pins or screwsone at or near either endv of such plateslots being cut in each end 'of srch plate, so that it could have motion backward and forward on auch pins, and such plate being also curved a little, so as to hug the face of the lock and not be as likely to drop at the Wren g time'. Such arrangement and construction of plate .and the manner of supporting and confining it, when compared with my form of construction and arrangement, is greatly inferior in respect to simplicity, iixedness ot' position, durability, and cheapness; and with the use of my device for supporting and op erating such plate the combined lock and scutcheon-plate can be constructed not only more cheaply, lout more elegantly.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

Supporting and confining the movable locking-plate A on the outer surface of the scutcheon-plate by means of the guides and grooves b b and thumb-screw D, or its equivalent, all as set forth.

HENRY HUNGERFORD.

Witnesses ALoNzo C. FARNHAM, S. D. I AW.` 

